5 match ups to watch between 49ers and Seahawks

The 49ers are facing arguably their toughest test of the season under new coach Kyle Shanahan Sunday when they make their annual trip to CenturyLink Field.

San Francisco, of course, hasn’t won there since Russell Wilson became the Seahawks’ starting quarterback in 2012. The team has lost those games by an average of 18 points, in line with the two-touchdown point spread heading in.

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Seattle, a favorite to return to the Super Bowl, is coming off a disappointing performance in their opener against the Packers. Wilson’s offense was held to 225 yards and converted just 3-of-12 attempts on third down in the 17-9 defeat. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is hoping the home opener in front of their fans will provide some extra juice as they welcome the 49ers to town.

Here are the five match ups to keep an eye throughout Sunday’s game.

Brian Hoyer vs. the noise

San Francisco’s first-year quarterback has never played the Seahawks or experienced the unique environment of CenturyLink during his previous eight seasons. He likely hasn’t played in a stadium as loud since his college days at Michigan State.

(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The noise in Seattle will be a new challenge, particularly when relaying Kyle Shanahan’s long play calls to his teammates in the huddle. The 49ers cranked up the music at practice this week, but it doesn’t have the same effect as the 12s at full volume, who can shake the grandstands reacting to big plays.

The other thing that changes in noisy environments is the offensive players’ reaction to the snap. They will have to watch the ball get snapped from the center’s hand, which takes more time than reacting to the quarterback’s cadence. It takes a fraction of a second for receivers and tackles to turn their heads toward their opponent, which can be enough for a defender to get a head start.

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